Brotherly Love
by Kellen
Summary: Ah, brotherly love! So full of ... anger? Completed one-shot.


**Brotherly Love**

by Kellen

Rating: Oh, G, probably.

Disclaimer: I'm not Tolkien. Really, I'm not. Nor am I related. The characters herein are used for entertainment purposes only. (Ok, in this one, it's to rant, but, hey...)

Summary: Ah, brotherly love! So full of ... anger?

A/N: Ok, this is just me ranting through characters I love and identify with. It's short, it's not especially good, it was written on the spur of the moment, without thinking, because Aragorn is saying all the things I wanted to say. Dedicated to my brother Jeff. I love him, but right now, all I want to do to hit him. On with the story...

"Stupid, inconsiderate, jerk of an idiot brother!"

Elladan looked up from the papers he'd been perusing, blinking and raising an eyebrow as Aragorn stomped into the library. His shouting turned to muttering (for which Elladan was grateful; his ears were ringing after Aragorn's rather eloquent pronoucement about Elrohir's character.) Elladan watched the man pace for a minute. After Aragorn "harumphed" and gracelessly flung himself into an armchair, Elladan turned back to the papers. After all, the running of Imladris could not be ignored because of one man's temper tantrum.

"I don't believe him!"

Elladan started at Aragorn's sudden proclamation, dropping the papers. He rolled his eyes heavenward. Talk about annoying brothers.

Aragorn leapt out of the chair and resumed his pacing. Elladan raised an eyebrow. This time he was muttering in dwarvish. After a moment, it turned to Common. The elf snorted softly; the Man wasn't going to go away anytime soon, and not before a good ranting session. So, pushing common sense aside, Elladan sighed and asked Aragorn what was wrong.

The answer was immediate, if not exactly helpful.

"He's an idiot!"

All of Imladris seemed silenced as the last word echoed through the halls and forests. Elladan winced, hands twitching as he attempted to keep from clapping his hands over his ears. Silence ruled the moment. Despite his common sense desperately trying to get him to shut up, Elladan asked again.

"Him who?"

"My idiot brother!"

Elladan leveled "the look" onto Aragorn. The man blinked, thinking perhaps that Elladan had spent a little too much time with Lord Elrond. He had "the look" down pat. "I'm your brother," Elladan said.

Aragorn couldn't help it. With a withering glance and a condescending tone, he answered, "the other brother." What was unspoken was the all too apparent "you idiot" that belonged on the end of the sentence.

Elladan bit the inside of his lip. Common sense was now screaming at him. He ruthlessly shoved it aside. "What did Elrohir do?"

Aragorn turned to face Elladan fully, and Elladan nearly winced. If Elrohir faced the full ire of Aragorn, he really felt sorry for his twin. This Aragorn was beyond angry. Worry etched what looked to be permanent lines in his forehead, his eyes were narrowed and full of an angry defiance, his jaw set, his hands clenched. Every line of his body spoke of a barely controlled intent to destroy something.

That something probably being his brother.

The other brother, Elladan reminded himself, suddenly glad it wasn't him incurring Aragorn's wrath.

"He left."

The words were hard and edged.

"All right," Elladan hedged, not entirely sure was Aragorn was meaning. He didn't have long to wait until Aragorn expressed himself fully. His rant was, apparently, just getting started.

"He just took off. Didn't tell a soul what he was doing. Just left, when he was supposed to be here." Aragorn pointed to the floor, his hand trembling. "And while he was gone, he lamed his horse. So he was gone longer, and since he didn't tell anyone he was gone, no one knew. And since no one knew, no one could tell me where he was, and since no one could tell me where he was, I went out looking. I went out looking, worried sick that maybe orcs had come along, wargs had got him, he fell off his horse, drowned in the river, Sauron himself came dropping out of the sky and carried him away by his hair. What am I supposed to think when he's not where he supposed to be, eh? And, then, I come back to the house, finding nothing -- and not knowing if finding nothing is a good thing or not -- to find the blasted elf asleep -- ASLEEP -- on a futon on the balcony like its a lovely spring day. I'm covered in mud, worried literally sick and he's asleep. Just got in. He just got home. Didn't think to tell a soul... again!"

Aragorn paused, breathing heavily and Elladan, thinking he was done, started to speak. He was interupted by a still irate man.

"That idiot! I swear he did it on purpose, just to mess with me."

Elladan started to speak again. Again, he was cut off.

"He couldn't tell anyone?"

Elladan opened his mouth. Aragorn spoke instead.

"He could have told someone!"

"Yes!" Elladan said quickly and loudly. "He could have. He didn't. He should have."

"But he didn't!"

"No, obviously not." Elladan narrowed his eyes. "And why didn't you tell me you were worried about him?"

"I -" Aragorn stopped, pursing his lips. "Well, I just -"

"No one's perfect."

"Well, obviously," Aragorn spat, not about to be deterred from his anger.

Elladan waited a few moments. Aragorn turned to him and said softly. "I was worried."

"I know, and I really do understand. He didn't mean to worry you."

"I'm still mad at him."

Elladan nodded. "Maybe you should tell him how worried you were."

"I'm more interested in telling him how angry I am."

"Well, that could be done, but in this case, guilt is a better weapon than anger."

"Huh?"

Elladan smiled. "If you really want him to feel bad about it, stick with worry. He'll be so contrite he'll be tripping over himself to apologize."

Aragorn mulled this over and finally nodded before turning on his heel and striding out the door. He tossed one more comment over his shoulder as he left the library.

"I'm still going to kill him."

The End

Like I said, I'm just venting; please go easy on me with the criticism, eh? :o)


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